Tips for Healthy Grieving

By Deb Graf, LPC

Is Grief the Same as Mourning?

Grief is the conflict in feelings caused by a change or an end in a familiar pattern of behavior. It is a normal and natural reaction to the many losses we experience in life. Of itself, grief is not pathological. Mourning, on the other hand, is the outward expression of grief.

TABOO STATEMENTS:

Don’t Feel Bad. (Healing comes from feeling the pain.)

Replace the Loss. (First grieve the loss.)

Grieve alone. (People grieve alone because they are afraid of being judged or criticized.)

Be strong. (Real strength is a natural demonstration of emotions.)

Keep busy. (Face the pain – don’t bury it.)

Time heals all wounds. (Actions, not time, heals.)

ACTIONS NECESSARY FOR COMPLETE RECOVERY:

Apologize for any wrong doing

Forgiveness: giving up hope of a different or better yesterday, to cease to feel resentment against [an offender]. It is an action, not a feeling.

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